Welcome to BuyAssociation.co.uk

Weekend in Carcassonne

Weekend in Carcassonne

The disused military airstrip near Carcassonne, a town unknown to most people outside South West France, was about to close. The ramparts on the medieval cité were in disrepair. Why would an obscure Irish airline start daily flights from Stansted?

"Where is Stansted anyway?" the Carcassonnes asked.

Well now they're asking where Dublin, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Cork and Shannon are as hundreds of Brits and Irish pour in every weekday, occupying the hotels and gites, renting boats and hiring cars, and quaffing wines of the Languedoc.

It's not all down to Ryanair of course, the place had merits of its own long before the no-frills revolution. The castle that sits above the modern aspect of Carcassonne is a UNESCO world heritage site, the hotel within it has just celebrated its 100th year, and the Canal du Midi has connected the Atlantic to the Med since the 17th Century. But the boon to Carcassonne’s fortunes is there for all to see - it can get positively overcrowded in August, when the tourist shops do a roaring trade - and there's a general air of conviviality about the place. It is one of the bargains of the cheap travel revolution, and at its heart is one of the great hotels of Europe.

How to get here
Carcassonne is in the South West, in the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, between Toulouse and the coast at Narbonne. There are flights aplenty by Ryanair from all manner of regional airports, but bargains have to be sought out as Ryanair has the monopoly here and charges never reach rock bottom.

By train, there's an excellent service (7½ Hrs) from Paris Austerlitz which is a fifteen minute Metro trip across Paris from Gare du Nord, the Eurostar Terminal. Details from Rail Europe. Driving from Calais takes nearly ten hours.

OK. WE’RE HERE.
The modern city of Carcassonne operates as centre for the region, arriving here is the best place to explore ruined Cathar Castles, cruise the Canal du Midi, and reach 1000 year old Abbeys (Fontfroide and Lagrasse).

But for a simple weekend, there's nothing wrong with just staying a couple of nights in the Cite, the double-fortified, medieval citadel that looks over the region beyond the city limits to the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. It can get busy at the height of the season but in the evening is traffic free, becalmed, and quiet. Walking the ramparts here, or the Lists as the route is called, takes an hour or two, there are 52 watchtowers all the way around, and at sunset it's beguiling. Central to it all is Saint-Nazaire Basilica, a must see while here.



STAY WHERE?
The ancient citadel houses one of the world's truly great hotels, the Hotel de la Cite, which has hosted hundreds of stars and politicians in its one hundred year existence. It's part of the Orient Express Group, who only do individual deluxe properties, there's no 'brand' look to any of them, and this is a jewel in its crown. The neo-gothic lobbies were restored in 1998 and are now listed by the French National Conservation Trust, the luxury suites and rooms spread across two main buildings have all been renovated to the highest degree, with hand painted furniture and decor described as 'light French Provencal'. Floors, walls and ceilings are a mass of carvings, mosaics and fleur-de-lis patterns, with paintings on a grand scale giving way to heraldic design in La Barbacane, the grand dining room (see below).

In it's heyday, the 50's, formality was all, and one can imagine the scene as Maurice Chevalier, Somerset Maugham and Walt Disney arrived to check in for the night. More recently, formalities have been relaxed for a new celebrity clientele, Massive Attack to Deep Purple, Diana Ross to Audrey Tatou.

On the ground floor, the coolest room by far is No. 108, formerly a smoking room with beautiful frescoes from the 1920's of medieval life in the city. It's now a 'junior' suite (huge bed, huge bathroom) with private terrace for breakfast. Cocktails here, with a view over the ramparts across Carcassonne as the sun goes down, is to die for, the walls of the adjacent castle glowing warmly, the silence of the night interrupted only by a few bats and a distant horn or two from the streets far below.

The heated swimming pool is so secluded as to be almost hidden, but bizarrely breakfast is usually taken in the hotel's second restaurant, Chez Saskia, which involves a short walk outside into the street.

There are 61 rooms and suites, all individual and all attracting different rates. There's a promotion running in 2009 to celebrate the centenary. €100 for the first night of a minimum two night stay, which compares well to the standard double room rate of €285. Details from the hotel website, www.hoteldelacite.com, and use promotional code "Century".

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, 1, 2, 3….
If you're staying at the Hotel de la Cite, they can organise a number of special trips out and about, at a price, or you can do them yourself.

(1) Carcassonne Castle and Basilica
The ancient city itself is a model of medieval military architecture, fully restored to all its glory in the 19th century. The city once defended all of France from what was then Aragon and dates back to the 12th century, although there are towers along the inner wall which date back to 4th century Roman times. The basilica of Saint Nazaire and Saint Celse was Carcassonne Cathedral until the turn of the 19th century and dates back to the 11th Century, although the site itself dates back to the 5th. Today, it’s a riot of Gothic Revivalism and has among the best stained glass you’ll ever see.

(2) Wine
Languedoc-Roussillon is France’s most productive wine region, producing annually over two million bottles of dry and fruity roses, reds such as Corbieres, Fitou, Minervois, and sweet whites from the Roussillon (Rivesaltes) and Herault plain (muscats). On Carcassonne’s doorstep is the little known Malepere appellation whose vines date back to Roman times. The wine association’s website details routes and visits to be had from Carcassonne. Alternatively the Hotel de la Cite will whisk you off on a half day or full day tour (prices start at €150 per person) to a variety of little known producers for samplings and tastings and lunch.

(3) Cassoulet
If you’re going to enter the debate as to where Cassoulet, the world’s richest bean casserole, was invented, start here. There are three contenders, Carcassonne, Toulouse, and Castelnaudry (“The Cassoulet Capital”) which are within 100km of each other, less than an hour by car but as far apart as you can get on who invented it first. They all use white beans and a combination of pork, goose, duck, mutton and sometimes partridge (Carcassonne only) and to the outside world what is a deeply satisfying earthenware pot (a “cassole”) of hearty and filling lunch, to each other has been a bean war for years. Considered opinion holds the view that Castelnaudry started it all in the 14th century during the hundred years war. But don’t say that too loud in Carcassonne. Just order it for lunch.



LET’S DO LUNCH
In the central square of the fortified city there are restaurants aplenty, busy and bustling and almost all of which have a menu formula, two or three courses for a fixed price (€12) plus wine and coffee.

La Terrasses de la Cite, at 5 Place Marcou is set slightly apart, more secluded, and worth checking out.

WHAT’S YOURS?
The local “champagne” (don’t ever call it that!) is a sparkling yeasty fizz called Cremant de Limoux, a sensational discovery from the region that merits close attention. It can be bought for as little as €8 a bottle in the wine shop inside the ancient city, considerably more per glass around the bars. It’s delicious on its own (you’d swear this is expensive champagne!) or with a hefty dose of cassis for a Kir Royale to be sipped as the sun goes down over the ramparts.

DINNER IS SERVED
The Hotel de la Cite's elegant restaurant, La Barbacane, has one Michelin star, a splendid baronial interior, featuring the coats of arms from the local nobility and high backed cathedral chairs. Service is youthful and vigorous, with explanations in English if required.

In celebration of the hotel's centenary, a special menu has been created, using the original recipes of the great Escoffier, the chef has put together a classic array of dishes with matching wines from the region. After some delicious, tiny appetisers, Duck Foie Gras is served Perigord style; a densely flavoured puck neatly topped with aspic jelly served on a crispy home made sweetened pastry. Sweet Lobster Newburg is mixed with vermicelli, scallop roe and cep mushrooms from the region, then veal sweetbread and fillet, underpinned by a truffled flavour jus. Cheese is wafer thin fan - Tete de Moine – followed by a classic dessert, Black Forest Gateau, deconstructed then rebuilt and held together with Amarena cherries and chocolate splitters.

The local wines for this feast are bright and sprightly, a white from Cote du Brian and a flavoursome Corbieres red, Abbaye de frontroide.

© TheTravelEditor.com

Reproduced with the kind permission of TheTravelEditor.com

More pages

Page 1: Weekend in Carcassonne

Travel insurance from £2.99 - instant worldwide travel insurance from Columbus Direct

4 & 5 Star holidays made simple plus exclusive holidays with YouTravel.com

Find your perfect villa rental with Villas4You over 500 villas across 20 destinations

Discounted Airport Parking - across the UK

Travel insurance with Staysure - the over 50's expert